Page 36 of Before This Ends (Before)

“For what?”

“For being so strong and refusing to settle. A lot of women would have just accepted the way things were in their relationship and tucked in, hoping for the best. Not a lot of women are willing to suffer the loss of something good in hopes of gaining something better in the long run.”

“Polly,” I whisper, feeling my throat get tight.

“You’re going to be okay, Emma. I just know it.” She wraps her arms around me and squeezes. I hug her back just as tightly. “All right.” She lets me go with a smile. “Get out of here so I can get some work done and go home.”

“Sure.” I grab my coat. “Tell Howard I say hi,” I say referring to her husband who is one of the best men around.

“I will.” She turns to the computer, then spins back toward me, holding out the pack of colorful hair bows I picked up for Winter from the shop that just opened next door. “Don’t forget these.”

“Thanks.” I shove them into my purse, then head for the door. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“See you tomorrow,” she calls back as I walk to the front desk to check in with Sammy before I take off to pick Winter up from school.

* * *

At the stove,I stir the tomato soup I made from scratch and look at Winter when her iPad begins to ring.

“Hi, Mommy.” She smiles at the device, then goes back to coloring the picture she’s been working on since she finished her homework.

“How was school?”

“Good.”

“Just good? Did anything happen?”

“Jameson puked in class,” she says, and I press my lips together. She told me about that as soon as I picked her up, and all I could think is I hope there isn’t a bug going around, because no one has time to be sick.

“Was he okay?”

“I don’t know.” She shrugs. “He went to the nurse and got to go home early.”

“Are you feeling okay?”

“Yep.” She drops the marker she was using and picks up a different one.

“Is Daddy home yet?”

“No, but he called and said he’s on his way.”

“Who’s with you now?”

“Emma.” She turns to the camera and gives her mom a smile that makes my chest warm. “We’re making grilled cheeses and tomato soup for dinner.”

“Are you?”

“Yeah, I get to help make the grilled cheeses when Daddy gets home.”

“That’s fun. What did you do last night? You never called me back after your shower.”

“I fell asleep. Daddy said Emma sleeps like the dead, just like me.”

“Does she?”

“I guess.” She shrugs. “That’s why she stayed the night last night.”

“She stayed the night?”

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